Forced circulation air heater



May 23,1950 D. F. JONES ET AL FORCED CIRCULATION AIR l-EATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1946 FIG. 2

IN VEN TOR.

EE E FIG.

DON E JONES BY JOHN w. MILLER BASIL D. FIGG ATTORN E Y May 23, 1950 D. F. JONES ET AL 2,508,828

FORCED CIRCULATION AIR HEATER Filed March 15, 1946' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

DON F JONES JOHN w. MILLER BASIL 0. FIGG ATTORNEY Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Lansing, Mich, assignors -to Motor Wheel Corimration, Lansing, Micln, a. corporation of Michigan Application March 15, 1946, Serial No. 654,710

3 Claims. 1

invention relates to heaters and more icularl'y to heaters adapted to receive and discharge air through one side only, such as heaters adapted to be mounted within a wall.

The principal object or the invention is to prowere a "wall type heater which is thoroughly insulated in a note] manner on those sides which are located'clos'e toth'e wall. I

lip-other bbjct to provide-a heater or the type mentioned which is *p r ise'ccaqin ieal to fabri'cate and install.

still further object is to provide a heater is adapted to circulate hit by gravity and by means of a fan so as to distribute heated -air substantially Uniformly throughout the room in which the heater is These objects will more fully appear in the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevatio'nal view of a wall type heater embodyin the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the heater;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 4-4 of Figur 3; and

I Figure aptsa cross-sectignali ie'w taken on substa tiauy the line e s 'of Figure *3.

The heater shown in the drawings comprises an outer casing having a heat exchanger 1! therein. i'T-h-e outer casing is adapted to be set into a wall #3 of a building, as indicated in Figare 2.

Tlje outer casing comprises a floor plate T4 of sheet rnetal having an upturned peripheral flange 5 to which a pair of side walls I6 and I1, a back wall l8, and a front wall l9 are attached. The floor plate has an opening therein, the purpose of which will appear later. The walls are all fashioned from sheet metal. The side walls l6 and H are formed to the configuration shown in Figure 2, that is, the front, the bottom and a portion of the back edges are straight, while the rest of the back edge is of arcuate shape. The back wall 18 is attached to the floor plate and to the rear edges of the side walls and conforms thereto. The back wall is also attached to the front wall by a flange 2| at its upper edge.

The front wall H! is provided with two large rectangular openings therein which are closed by swinging doors 22 and 23 to provide access to the interior of the casing. Louvers 24 are formed in the front wall above door 2. Other louvers 25 and 26 are formed in the wall l9 below the door 22. In the door 23, adjacent its upper and lower ends, are louvers 27 and 28. A grille 29 is at- 'l'a'rly 'emeient, yet 5 tached to door '23 over "a rectangular opening therein.

The heat exchanger ll may be or any conventicnm type, but preferably it comprises a sheet metal shell 30, in the lower part of which is mounted a vaporizing burner 31. The upper end of the heat exchanger is provided wi'th'a flife outlet 32. v p

The heat exchanger is mounted at one side or the center of the outer casing it], as shown Figure '4, on 'a sheet metal base 33. The base has a top wall on which the burner 3| and shell as are mounted. The base also is provided with a depending perimetral flange 3'4. Relatively large rectangular "openings 35, as, 31 and -38 are cut in the flange 34 on "all 'foursides of the base. In the top of the base 'is an opening 33a to admitair to the burner. The back and two sides of the base are sp'a'ced from the respective walls of the casing, while the front of the base is in contact with the front wall. The opening '38 is in registry with the two bottom louvers 2 6 in the front "wall.

The back wall 18 and the two side Walls 1-6 and 'l'! are insulated from the heat exchanger by means of baffles 39, 40 and 4|, respectively. The baffle 39 is substantially coextensive in 'area with the back wall, and extends upwardly from the base to a point adjacent, but spaced from, the front wall H3. The bafiie 39 follows the curved contour of the back wall and is spaced from the back wall. The lower end of the ballle 39 is pro-'- vide'd with an opening registering with the 'o'pen= ing 35 in the base.

The baflle 4| extends from the base '33 to a point above the heat exchanger, and from the front wall to the baflle 39. The baille 4| is located, throughout the greater portion of its area, in spaced parallel relation to the side wall IT. The lower end of baffle 4| has an opening registering with opening 3? in the base.

The bafile 43 is in the form of a partition extending from the front wall l9 to the back wall l8, and from the base 33 to the top of the casing. It is spaced from the side wall |6 a substantial distance to provide a compartment to house a fuel control 42 and. a blower 43.

The fuel control 42 is connected to a source of fuel (not shown), and to the burner 3| by a conduit 44.

The blower is mounted on the battle 4|]. The inlet of the blower casing registers with an opening in the baflle 4!]. The outlet of the blower is connected by a duct 45 to the grille 29.

When the heater is in operation air is drawn into the outer casing through the louvers 25. The

air is heated by the heat exchanger, rises by convection, and is discharged through louvers 24 into the room. If the blower 43 is operating, some of the air is drawn from the space to the left of bafile 40 and is discharged through the grille 29.

Air is also drawn through louvers 26 and opening 38 into the space between the base 33. Some of that air flows into the space around the burner through opening 33a and thence into the burner. The rest of the air flows out through openings 35, 36 and 37 into the passageways formed be tween the bafiles 39, 40 and 4| and the respective walls of the outer casing. These baffles are heated by the heat exchanger and they in turn heat the air in the aforementioned passageways, setting up a circulation of air by gravity. The heated air is discharged into the top of the casing, from which it enters the room through louvers 24 and blower 43, and grille 29, if the blower is operating. The air flowing through the passageways keeps the adjoining side walls cool so that there is no danger from fire.

Air is also admitted to the space between side wall l6 and baffle 40 through louvers 28 and leaves through louvers 27. The oil control is thus kept cool, as well as the walls of this section of the casing.

If desired, an opening can be cut in the floor of the building directly beneath opening 20 in the floor plate of the heater to admit air to the space beneath the base of the heater. In case such an opening is provided, the louvers 2!? can be closed ofi, r dispensed with.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the present invention provides a simple and economical heater that is particularly efiicient, while at the same time it can be mounted in a wall with complete safety. Insulating of the side and back walls is performed by air, which also aids in heating the room. There is always some circulation of air by gravity, but if desired, the lower part of the room can be kept at a comfortable temperature by operating the blower 43.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A heater comprising an outer casing defined in part by upright walls, a heat exchanger in said casing, and a baffle in said casing interposed between said heat exchanger and one of said walls in spaced relation. thereto, said baffle being substantially coextensive in area with said last named wall and forming therewith an air duct, the upright edges of said bafile being connected to certain walls of said outer casing, said air duct having an air inlet opening adjacent its lower end and an air outlet opening adjacent its upper end, said baffle being provided with an opening therein adjacent said heat exchanger below the top thereof, and a blower having an inlet opening communicating with said opening in said baflle and an outlet opening communicating with an opening in one of said side walls of said casing.

2. A heater comprising an outer casing defined by four upright side walls and top and bottom walls, an upright baflle in said casing dividing the outer casing into two chambers, a heat exchanger in the first chamber, an air inlet opening in said baflle adjacent said heat exchanger, a blower positioned in said second chamber and having an inlet opening communicating with said opening in said bailie, said blower also having an outlet opening communicating with an opening in one of the side walls of said casing and below the mid-portion of said side wall, said second chamber also having an air inlet opening in a side wall thereof adjacent the bottom wall and an air outlet opening in the side wall adjacent the top wall of said casing.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the first chamber is also provided with a baflle between the heat exchanger and the rear wall of the chamber and between the heat exchanger and the adjacent side wall of the outer casing, said baflles being spaced from the respective back and side walls of the outer casing and provided with air inlet openings adjacent their bottoms and air outlet openings adjacent their tops so that each baflle cooperates with its adjacent wall to provide an air duct.

DON F. JONES. JOHN W. MILLER. BASIL D. FIGG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,456,472 Stein May 22, 1923 1,673,072 Houghtby June 12, 1928 1,982,139 Kercher Nov. 27, 1934 1,991,449 Cornelius Feb. 19, 1935v 2,001,531 Hall May 14, 1935 2,089,407 Norris Aug. 10, 1937 2,131,763 Sroat Oct. 4, 1938 2,197,679 Boorman Apr. 16, 1940 2,240,531 Walker May 6, 1941 

